Famed producer Frank Marshall steps behind the camera for the first time with Arachnophobia, a self-described “thrillomedy” which fails to issue equal amounts of thrills amid its off-again, on-again comedy. However, though not cohesive and, in many respects, a confused production, the film sustains its viewer’s interest for a lukewarm hour-and-a-half.
When Ross Jennings (Jeff Daniels) moves with his family from San Francisco to Canaima, a small town in California, his life–which he was hoping to streamline and eliminate a large amount of stress from–becomes excessively exacerbated. After being assured by Doctor Sam Metcalf (Henry Jones) that he would leave his practice to Jennings upon the latter’s arrival, the town doctor reneges, deciding to postpone tossing in the towel quite yet. However, once a handful of individuals in Canaima die mysteriously, Metcalf included, Jennings’s life begins to pick up as he becomes the new doctor-in-residence. Yet he must first prove his theory that something is amiss with the recently deceased in order to clear his makeshift nickname given to him by the townsfolk, Doctor Death.
Of course, given the title, the murderous culprits of the film are spiders. However, they aren’t ordinary arachnids, oh no, they are hybrids, a cross between a native species in Canaima and a yet unidentified strand from Venezuela. To make matters worse, the antagonists’ nest is located in the Jennings’s basement where the paterfamilias suffers from an excessive case of arachnophobia.
Marshall’s first feature-length film, financed by a subsidiary of Walt Disney, produced what the marketing department attempted to coin as a “thrillomedy.” Given the backers and the flaccid label, Arachnophobia is what one would expect: a less-than-horrific horror film. There is minor blood, sparse scenes of individuals in anguish, and only a handful of anxiety-ladden screaming. Bare bones, there is little to actually fear unless the viewer is prone to the title ailment. Instead, we are given brief snippets of tension, such a spider descending into a shoe and other places spiders don’t belong, only to cut away and return a scene later to news of a corpse. Truthfully, the film comes closer to being a thriller, especially during the unbalanced ending (where the atmosphere is suddenly devoid of humor for the first time). Basically, Marshall attempts to create the non sequitur, a horror film for the whole family and, understandably, fumbles while so doing.
Regrettably, the work suffers from vast amounts of predictability, due in part to its formulaic structure. The townsfolk are stock characters while those who are overconfident, such as Doctor James Atherton (Julian Sands), an arrogant arachnologist, and Metcalf, who is in denial of the situation, die as a consequence of their horror film sins. Also, the filmmaker’s explanation of a thrillomedy is that the comedy serves as a release valve for the tension brought upon by the suspense. However, though good in theory, Arachnophobia never develops the latter enough for the former to fulfill its intended purpose. As a consequence, the film comes across as a heartfelt family film more than an engaging psychological roller coaster. Finally, there are a handful of plot holes in the film, most notable of which is the plausibility of a newcomer entering town where, upon his exposure to an individual, the person dies shortly thereafter without anyone suspecting the wild card in the deck (no less seriously accusing or having the person arrested just to be on the safe side).
However, I will hand it to Marshall and Co. on their inventive placement of arachnids throughout the film, foremost of which is the in-joke for viewers apt to settle into a film with a tub of popcorn as we watch Blaire Kendall (Kathy Kinney) dip her hand unknowingly into a sea of buttery yellow just as a spider crawls across it. Though the comedy far outweighs the horror in the production, the former is, at times, quite good. For example, my favorite line if the film occurs when Molly Jennings (Harley Jane Kozak), attempting to acclimate herself to the town’s populace, is sitting with Henry Beechwood (Peter Jason), Canaima’s football coach, and his family. Henry proudly announces to Molly that his son is quarterback of the team, to which she replies, “Nepotism?” with a coy smile. Henry’s wife, Edna, then retorts, “No, we’re Baptist.”
What I found most intriguing about the film is its parody of another horror work, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. The film opens with what we are given to believe is the main character, Jerry Manley (Mark Taylor), as he quickly succumbs to a quick demise via a spider bite. Thus, we have our Marion Crane dispatched early in the production. Also, we are issued a tension-filled scene involving our antagonist in the same frame as a toilet, a shower scene, bird pictures lacing the Jennings’ household, and a stairwell which doesn’t bode well for Ross during the proceedings.
To put it simply by comparison, Ellory Elkayem’s Eight Legged Freaks, which aimed for the jugular yet barely grazed the ear lobe, pales in comparison to Frank Marshall’s film. Though it too misses its mark, at least the work remains entertaining while veering off into the ditch.
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
